The protest that was hyped to rattle EU lawmakers and bring Brussels to a stand-still turned out to be more bluster than blockbuster, with police marshalling the rather reduced "freedom convoy" – a ragged brigade of camper-vans and camionettes – to a parking lot on the city outskirts.
The minor skirmishes that played out in the centre of town involved small bands of protesters on foot, outnumbered by riot police and ultimately posing little threat to business as usual. Those who had made the journey, in some cases from southern France or Eastern Europe, expressed feelings of betrayal at the pitiful turnout.
By 16:00, police traffic controls around the city were being lifted. A disorganised collection of anti-vaxxers on Place Sainte-Catherine (a tourist destination far from executive buildings) resembled a minor carnival spectacle.
Meanwhile, Belgium's Federal Government was busy hashing out the much-debated Labour Bill, with negotiations continuing through Monday night into Tuesday. The agreed reforms aim to provide more flexibility for employees to compress their weekly workload to gain an extra day off.
For many, this will be an appealing proposition that could see productivity gains with professional activity more concentrated allowing more time for family and social engagements. The change won't be automatic and would need to be implemented in discussion with relevant unions, but the implications could be transformative – at work and beyond.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that "the aim is to be able to make people and businesses stronger" and that the reforms follow trends initiated during the coronavirus. Could this be one of the best things to come out of the pandemic?
Let @Orlando_tbt know.
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1. ‘Thousands more are coming’: Freedom Convoy’s quiet start could be deceptive
Belgium deployed federal police to its borders and conducted checks of vehicles bound for Brussels ahead of a planned European version of a Freedom Convoy on Monday, but various protests popped up around the city anyways, resulting in 15 to 20 arrests and some weapons seizures. Read more.
2. Four-day working week, increased flexibility: Belgium agrees on labour deal
Working through Monday night into Tuesday, the Federal Government concluded weeks of debates to decide the country’s labour deal that will focus on flexibility for both employees and employers and introduces the four-day working week. Read more.
3. CST should be dropped at start of March, says Magnette
Belgium should get rid of its Covid Safe Ticket (CST) in two weeks’ time, according to leading socialist politician Paul Magnette. Read more.
4. Belgians produce less waste than EU average
The average household waste generated per person in Belgium has decreased in the last 25 years and is one-fifth lower than the EU average. Read more.
5. Brussels to improve bike-friendliness on ‘unavoidable’ Place Montgomery
Place Montgomery at the end of Avenue de Tervueren will soon become more bike-friendly, as the Brussels regional government is looking to extend the bicycle path to ensure cyclists can bike around the entire roundabout. Read more.
6. 30 arrests: Belgian police raids 49 houses in international drug trafficking case
On Tuesday morning, police raided dozens of locations in Belgium as part of an international police investigation into cocaine trafficking via the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. Read more.
7. Hidden Belgium: The Ghent palace where Louis Napoleon stayed
Located on the narrow Veldstraat in Ghent, this gorgeous rococo palace takes its name from the D’Hane Steenhuyse family. It was occupied in 1815 by King Louis XVIII of France during the ‘Hundred Days’ when Napoleon seized power. Read more.
